GAZA CITY: Israeli forces killed at least 51 people, including 24 at a seafront rest area, as fresh calls grow for a ceasefire in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, says Gaza’s civil defence agency.
The swift resolution of Israel’s 12-day war with Iran has revived hopes for a halt to the fighting in Gaza, where more than 20 months of combat have created dire humanitarian conditions for the population of more than two million.
Gaza’s civil defence agency said 51 people had been killed by Israeli forces on Monday, including 24 in a strike on a rest area on Gaza City’s seafront.
“I saw body parts flying everywhere, and bodies cut and burned… It was a scene that made your skin crawl,” 26-year-old eyewitness Ahmed Al-Nayrab told AFP, recalling a “huge explosion that shook the area”.
“The place is always crowded with people because the rest area offers drinks, family seating and internet access.”
Another eyewitness, 35-year-old Bilal Awkal, said “blood covered the ground and screams filled the air”.
“Women and children were everywhere, like a scene from a movie about the end of the world.”
Approached for comment by AFP, the Israeli army said it was “looking into” the reports.
The Hamas government media office reported that photojournalist Ismail Abu Hatab was among those killed in the strike.
Israeli restrictions on media in Gaza and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers and authorities in the territory.
